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Encouragement
Each day that passes is one step closer to redemption
One step closer to freedom

Hunger pains came twice
Headaches pushed over the edge
The heat collapsed and then disappeared
Sitting inside solitary confinement for so many years
Tear drops became rivers while wishing I wouldn’t cry

Acknowledgement
There’s no correction inside correctional facilities
Nothing but heartache pain and misery
At the sound of the gavel I lost my energy

Uncertainty has me thinking long range
It’s hard to explain how it’s hurting me to sit inside of a cage
I’m feeling so distant and dazed

Decarcerate set the record straight
Unlearn what you just learned and dissect the truth
Abolish the prison system for the future and for the youth
Trapped inside of a cell we inhale desperation but exhale memories
Don’t become the penitentiary …

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Hakim Trent

Hakim Trent is a writer incarcerated in Virginia.